Astrology like any other subject one decides to study, because one loves and enjoys it, becomes second nature that continues to grow, until one no longer can control the urge, but to allow it to go its merry way. This has become my obsession, in that the more I learn, the more I have realized that I have not scratched the surface with so much available at our finger tips through the internet as paperbacks, hardbound, eBooks or PDF downloads. There are so many areas to be discovered and to be mastered that one begins to wonder where one should start? My choice was to begin with the very early writers of the art, and I am lucky to commence at a time when the translations of early writings into English are beginning to be more plentiful and easier to obtain. Some of the translations are still difficult for me to comprehend and to get a handle on the meaning, the transcripts hoped to convey.

How bless are we, who desire to acquire more information and knowledge, that by diligently studying what is available we will have a better grasp and understanding of where we came from and where we are going. As more traditional and classical astrology manuscripts have become available, a surge of interest has gained a momentum and continues to grow, and more is sure to come. Although I still consider myself a modern astrologer, my deep desire to study the classics has made me a hybrid that works well with what I have already learnt and mastered. Working with both systems and not giving preference to either is my goal. Since I was born in a culture very different from my parent’s, I am comfortable combining the two worlds, so that it would work for me, and represent who I really am. It comes naturally to me to see both sides and to reconcile the apparently opposites to work together as one unit.

With this in mind, the traditional system of sect is determined by the placement of the Sun in a chart to decide on the order of placement, the amount of energy, the amount of power, the qualitative performance of each planet, is implemented by dividing them into two categories. One consisting of the planets that work in sympathy and empathy with the daytime, which is termed as diurnal, which is led by the Sun followed by Jupiter and Saturn, while the Moon, Venus and Mars, comprise the nighttime or nocturnal team of planets. Mercury is considered neutral, depending on whether it appears on the horizon as a morning star, in which it allies itself with the diurnal sect, and likewise if it appears as an evening star in the chart, the nocturnal sect.

An important point to note is that planet’s sect whether it is considered malefic or benefic is a qualitative measurement of how well it will perform. It is said that a planet in its own sect, whether benefic or malefic will perform better, and in its opposite state, be in a weaker position to carry out its duties. Malefic planets appear to be more problematic and can be quite benign and at the same time even beneficial if not more constructive then the benefic planets in some circumstances. Lately my thoughts about a planet out of sect have changed, and have taken a twist I did not expect because of my own personal experience. I have always felt the axiom “As above, so below” to be true and is demonstrated all around us, every moment of the day.

All my life I have considered myself a day person, who performs everything better in the daytime. Late one evening I needed to think and work something out and was at a point of exhaustion when I finally thought I had the project finished. The next morning with a clearer mind and hoping to see and benefit from my hard work, I was disappointed with the outcome. Not only did I have to redo the project, but for some reason it seems that what I was trying work out, gave me the inspirations for other avenues in approaching any solution to any problem. I began to wonder if this would apply to a planet in the wrong sect, is it possible that not only does it operate in a weaker position, but would it operate in a more erratic and unexpected way then anticipated?

Whether it was a benefic or malefic, could it perform as it’s opposite and out perform it, depending on the situation and aspects? Studying and looking at my own natal chart applying the essential dignities and the bounds, I found this to be true. Mars in my day chart below the horizon and Venus on the midheaven seems to display attributes of Uranus, surprising me at every turn, but I find that my stellium in Gemini finds this quite agreeable. My conclusion on the matter, is when ever I see a chart with planets out of sect, I will proceed with caution, and not jump to the obvious conclusion and see if it might act in a more erratic manner than one might expect. The keyword is caution, as the assumption of what dos and don’ts a planet should follow and stick with may derail one’s delineation of a chart. My personal opinion is that one needs to use caution, wisdom and intuition to separate a great delineation from a good one when applying the technique of sect.

As always, as in any interest and a love of any subject one wants to be proficient in, there is a never ending of learning and research into all areas related. Especially in astrology, and I assume as in any field one is interested in, one becomes an eternal student. Whether it is because of the love of the subject or because of the Universe’s design for our lives, things seem to fall into place in the most unusual ways. By accident about three months ago I ran across an article on the subject of sect by Chris Brennan on his blog, which pique my interest. Then six weeks later, my Mountain Astrologer Magazine arrived, with an updated article on the subject by the same author. Although in my early studies I ran across the terms “diurnal” or daytime and “nocturnal” or nighttime planets or signs, the explanation of how to apply these principles into one’s own chart was hazy and unclear. I just assumed that these terms were similar to hot, wet, cold and dry, that are use in astrology and at one time made a difference in one’s delineation, but no longer held a place of honor as it once did.

Reading the article gave me new insights into my own chart and my emotional and intellectual behavior that I never really understood before. It was like a light bulb turned on to its full potential, instead of the candle light I was using. In this article the term sect, refers to dividing the planets into diurnal which is lead by the Sun, follow by Jupiter, and then Saturn. The nocturnal planets are lead by the Moon, Venus and then Mars. Mercury is considered neutral, and depending where it is in connection with The Sun is either diurnal or nocturnal. There is a distinction between these planets and how they work, according to whether your chart is considered a diurnal or nocturnal. Applying these principles to my own chart, I came away more enlighten why my Venus and Moon worked as they did in the tenth house. Filled with new knowledge and a sense of confidence, I decided to search the internet for more information, and found very little. The only other two articles I found of importance on the matter was by Curtis Manwaring, Doug Noblehorse and an out of print book by Robert Hand entitled “Night & Day: Planetary Sect in Astrology”. In Mr. Manwaring’s article, he works the principles in regards to sect in a nautical metaphor, referring to the ascendant as the helm of the ship. To the midheaven he refers to it as the force that drives the ship.

Unfortunately for me, unless I work any principles into my own understanding, I never seem to get the jest of the matter the author is trying to convey to me. Using the terms daytime or nighttime planets just didn’t register to me, until I replaced certain keywords. In today’s world of psychological terms I am a daytime person. I do my best work and thinking between 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. The moment I replaced diurnal with being an A person, meaning a day person, the planets and their potentials and problems began to make sense to me. A nocturnal planet definitely in a day chart would be out of place and not using its full resources. This would be true of a benefic planet in the wrong sect having its power to do well lessen. Seen in this light, the variations from good to bad or the reverse may be very slight, but the difference could mean the distinction of completing a project and success in the matter. By replacing the nautical metaphor with driving a car, since I live in an area where this form of transportation is a necessity, it made the difference in the understanding and the comprehension of the subject matter. The ascendant is the type and condition of the car, determining how well it will perform. The midheaven is the road conditions, such as an unpaved road, cobblestone, a side street or highway. Seeing the ascendant and midheaven in this light, it made more sense to me that we needed to improvise to avoid certain problems in life if we are to succeed, even if the outcome seems assured. Understanding what we have to work with is the first key to success, because then we know what to avoid. If we have a vehicle that would do better on the side roads instead of the highways, it may take longer, but in time we will reach our destination. The important thing is not how fast and the way we got to our destination, but that we do arrive.

This added knowledge increases my curiosity to return back to some charts to see and review how persons with similar aspects were so different because of this aspect. It also showed and convinced me that our charts do not predestine our lives, but through the knowledge of what is going on, can make a difference between success and failure. It is our choices and our abilities to adapt to our conditions and to work with them, which will show our ingenuity as a creation of the Universe. Understanding our charts and being honest to the potentials is the key to success in fulfilling the promise recorded in the stars. The ancients and wise ones knew this, and this is why in my opinion the study of Sect is an important part of astrology that should not be forgotten and lost to future astrologers. We must rediscover this lost art in astrology, and with a vengeance to bring the study of the stars into the twenty first century.